FMSCI rolls out plan to draw more women into motorsports

The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) rolled out an ambitious plan for women, pledging to pull out all the stops to make motorsports an attractive and viable proposition for women across the country.

On a day, when the FMSCI and Women in Motorsport (WIM) celebrated and felicitated its leading ladies at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida, it announced that the process for hunting for talented girls and women had begun.

"We have also encouraged all our affiliates to add events specifically for women too to draw them into the sport," FMSCI-WIM chairperson Sita Raina said.

"The federation will give every possible support to organisers who try to create a platform for women," she added.

As a first step towards this goal, the FMSCI honoured the country's top women in motorsports, including national motorcycle champion Aishwarya Pissay, LGB Formula 4 racer Sneha Sharma and ace rallyist Bani Yadav at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida on Monday.

The FMSCI had set up a pavilion at the Auto Expo for the first time to showcase a host of racing cars, bikes and karts to promote the sport among youngsters.

Among other things, the FMSCI intends to go the extra mile to provide proper guidelines, training and quick licenses to help women participate at the national level.

It also aims to extend additional support to upcoming and existing racers to make them move on to the world stage.

Bani Yadav, the only Indian woman to have won all the major rally titles in the women's category in India, was pleased with the efforts of the governing body and felt that this would see many young girls to take up the sport.

"I really appreciate FMSCI's mission. As a woman, I know how difficult it is to come into the sport. But I believe if the right platform is created, a number of women will come forward to race or rally," Bani said during the felicitation ceremony.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sneha Sharma said, "I would like to believe that if we all have managed to come into motorsport, then many others can do so too. They just need the right kind of guidance and a few opportunities and this is exactly what FMSCI-WIM's vision and mission is all about."

Aishwarya Pissay too appreciated this step from the federation.

"I would like to really appreciate the federation for this wonderful step. They have been a huge pillar of support for me and now with this novel initiative, I am sure many more women will come up in the sport, making the whole racing scene in the country much more exciting and more challenging," Aishwarya explained.